The Blanket
by Summoner Yuna FFX
Summary: Remember the sixth book where Barda went over board the River Queen, and Lief and Jasmine were on the shore of the beach after being kicked off the boat, this story is what happened to them while on the shore.LiefxJasmine! R & R!


**Deltora Quest**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Deltora Quest characters, or any of the books or anything like that.

**The Blanket**

As the small boat paddled back to its ship, Lief carried Jasmine to shore with the small pack of provisions that had survived the pirate raid. Glancing at their surroundings, Lief laid Jasmine gently onto the sand, he quickly pulled out Queen B's honey and started smothering it over her lips. He looked toward the sea and found the 'River Queen' rounding a bend, the shadow of the captain was standing on the deck peering after them; it slowly turned the corner and vanished.

Sighing back the tears and swallowing hard Lief looked back down toward Jasmine. Her throat was red raw and burn marks were clearly visible from where the ols figures had dug into her skin, purple bruises were mixed with the red making it look painful. Jasmine shivered slightly as a cool breeze blew throughout the shore, Lief took a small blanket out form the pack and wrapped it around her carefully. Making sure she was comfortable, he looked to the horizon in the hopes that he would see Barda, walking toward them with a grin on his face.

But there was no Barda, Barda had gone over board on the ship in all the confusion, Dain had been captured by those scavenging pirates, and they had taken the Belt of Deltora with them. Lief knew he had to do something, the pirates would be far away by now, but what use was it. Next to him Jasmine slowly opened her eyes and saw Lief sitting close to her, looking glum, she glanced around frantically and saw no Barda. Reaching out a hand she grabbed Lief's shoulder; he started and looked down at her.

"W-Where's Bar-da?" she croaked trying to sit up but, immediately fell back down, the blanket sliding off her.

"He- He went over the side of the ship, and didn't make it" he forced himself to speak clearly, covering Jasmine with the blanket once again; she weakly resisted trying to sit back up. He was gentle and after getting her to lie down again he covered her for the third time with the blanket.

"Fine!" she snapped her voice failing her. Lief rubbed her back gently to try to get her voice working again, she tensed up a bit at this, but eventually grew used to his soft hands and found her voice.

"W-We need to g-go find Barda" she said huskily, was it her imagination or did Lief's hand linger on her back? Shaking the thought off she turned her attention to the 'Barda Situation', "We need to g-go find Barda, Dain and the Belt, they're all getting away!" she hissed as best she could.

"No we're to weak, what the point in going after them if we don't have the strength to fight them?' he asked her, "If Barda were here he would say we needed to rest and recover, then in the morning start fresh, if her were here-" Lief swallowed back his unshed tears trying to be strong. Jasmine reached out her hand and squeezed the lonely one resting on the sand, Lief smiled and drew comfort form this, finding his voice he started again.

"We need to rest and in the morning we move out" he said gripping her hand like it was his life line. She nodded and watched him as he lay a little away from her.

"Lief you'll freeze to death if you stay like that all night!" she exclaimed softly able to sit up now.

"No it's ok, you need it more" he said hurriedly trying to dismiss any thoughts of him and Jasmine sharing the same blanket.

"No Lief you need to stay warm to!" she exclaimed.

"You're injured and you need it more than I do" he insisted.

"Cant you feel the chill in the air, it's probably due to the sea, you'll freeze!" she said not taking no for an answer.

"I told you I'm fine!" he said softly, admiring how she could be so defiant. A part of him wanted to crawl into the blanket just to be with her, so he could be warm and close. But the other half of him wanted to stay out in the cold because it knew that that action was inappropriate. He stared at her in amazement as she got the blanket and threw it off herself, letting it float to the ground.

"Be like that, but if you wont then I wont!" she said simply, she lay down and turned her back toward him.

He smiled at her back and thought for a moment, what harm could come of this anyway. He rounded up the blanket and slowly crawled to her back.

"Fine Jasmine" he whispered into her ear tickling her neck, "you are so arrogant and defiant that that makes you the winner."

He threw the blanket over her and attempted to crawl under it next to her, only to find it to small.

"Uh, Jasmine could you scoot over?" he asked.

"I haven't got enough room!" she said rolling onto her right sided to face him.

"Then the blanket's to small!" he said grumpily.

She laughed faintly at the annoyed expression on his face, "Well then hold onto me and it won't be silly."

His jaw dropped in amazement, was this a written invitation to hold Jasmine under a blanket?

"_Well if it is count me in!!!!" _Lief thought his heart pounding wildly, though he had to be sure he didn't take that in the wrong way.

"You would let me hold you?" he asked his face growing red.

"Yeah why not, I mean you're my friend after all" she said not getting the meaning that easily.

"Well if it's alright with you, I suppose that's the only way" in truth Lief could think of a thousand other ways to keep warm but he thought he quite liked this idea. He hesitantly edged closer to her and slowly slid his arms around her slim waist, pressing his body against her small figure he eased the blanket over them both and held Jasmine to him carefully.

"_He's actually doing this!?" _thought Jasmine as shock and surprise chorused its way through her, her body tensing slightly, _"Well we are only __friends, __why not?"_

She rested her head on his comfortable chest and snuggled into him. Lief smiled as he felt her eyes close, he had never seen this side of Jasmine and he had to admit to himself, he liked it. Bringing one of his hands free of her warm waist he slithered it slowly up her back. Jasmine shivered as she felt his hand come in contact with her burning skin, Lief chuckled at this and brought his hands to her rib cage. A quick intake of breath told him that he had found a weak spot, so he started tickling her madly.

"Lief stop, STOP" shrieked Jasmine laughing into his chest, he kept going until she was pleading for mercy, "Lief please…. stop, I'll… do anything, anything please STOP" she begged twisting and thrashing in his arms.

An idea came to Lief's head, he stopped and waited for Jasmine to regain her breath, "You'll do _anything _if I stop?"

"You just stopped!" she said a smile dancing on her lips.

"But what's to say I wont start again, you have to keep the best at bay Jasmine" he said carefully placing her on the ground so she was laying beneath him.

She considered this, and she could think of a hundred ways to keep Lief from tickling her, but she thought it best to play along with this, "Fine! What do you want me to do?"

He leaned against her slightly, and bent down to whisper into her ear, "I want you to let me kiss you."

Jasmine froze, shock was clearly imprinted on her face as Lief glanced at it. _"Maybe I went a bit too far, great now she'll hate me!" _Lief started to stutter and apologize but Jasmine held her finger to his lips.

"_He wants to kiss me!!!" _her mind was screaming, _"But how can I?"_

"Fine!" she said her voice husky and weak.

Lief's mind was overcome with relief and happiness. Not wasting another moment he lowered his head and brushed his dry lips across her moist ones. A shock of electricity shot down his back making his skin tingle, a sharp intake of breath told him Jasmine had received the same feeling. Slowly he lowered his head and kissed her softly, a warm feeling begun to fuzz and blur his mind.

"_God were just friends, we are only friends…only…friends!" _Jasmines mind rand out as she felt her heart thumping. Impatiently she pulled Lief's head down to deepen the kiss, he almost laughed out loud and had to pull away to regain his breath. They were both breathing heavily; it took several minutes for them to start breathing normally again, Lief rolled onto the sand and closed his eyes happily.

"_He kissed me, he actually kissed me!" _Jasmine thought happiness chorusing through her, she touched her lips with a shaky hand and glanced at Lief.

He was lying peacefully next to her, his eyes closed and a grin spread out across his face.

"Lief?" she asked.

"Yes Jasmine?"

"I...I don't-"she begun.

Lief sat up and put his finger to her lips, "Don't say it, lets just get some sleep" he smiled at her and together they both crawled under the blanket, five minutes later wrapped in each other's arms, they fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning a large man weakly pulled himself out of the water and onto the shore. He shakily stood up on his sore legs, he was drenched from head to foot. Walking a few steps toward the warmer sand he glanced around and spotted a bundle lying not to far away from him. He quickly made his way to it, hoping it was his two best friends still alive. When he reached it his mouth fell open, Lief was holding Jasmine, they were both fast asleep peacefully. 

Despite this he smiled slightly, his two best friends were safe and happy together, that was all that mattered.

_"Here comes payback for not looking for me" _thought Barda an evil grin spreading across his face.

In the few seconds that followed a gigantic **_splash _**echoed about the shore, waking two now drenched people under a blanket, up with a shout.

* * *

A:N/ This is a totally random fic that just flew into my head. Somethings changed in the story line but dont take it to hard.

Review and tell me what you think ! R & R!


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